Power to the wheels

摘要

Ever since Henry Ford began mass manufacturing his Model T in 1908, the motor car has grown vastly in importance and has helped transform transportation. However the future availability of fossil fuels as well as concerns over pollution and climate change from CO_2 emissions has seen the auto industry look to alternative solutions. Looking at the powertrain possibilities for the future there are a number of options. Hybrids to a large extent are an interim solution while those for the longer term include fuel cells, biofuels, hydrogen, methane and electric vehicles. Of these, electric vehicles present one of the leading future motive power solutions, having been in existence since the dawn of motoring. But despite various incentives to customers, the latest generation electric vehicles attract only a comparatively small market share.